Buying a 240?

Look out for rust. And accident damage. And rust. And accident damage.

Did I mention rust? These are the only two things that will shorten a 240's lifespan, usually.

Look for rust in the floors, near the outside edges. Look closely at the seam in the center of the floor running across the car. Look at the area where the center driveshaft bearing is bolted in. Look at the "splash" areas behind each wheel. Open doors and look at the rocker panels, especially that panel joint in the lower front door opening.

Get the car up on a lift and poke around underneath it. Pay for this service if you have to. It is WELL worth it to have a thorough inspection of any vehicle. I do this at my shop and I let people take my cars for inspection elsewhere if they wish.

Look for engine oil leaks, front seals, rear main seal, valve cover, oil cap gasket (the easiest fix). Beware a crusty radiator or one so old that the black paint is coming off the plastic tanks. They break at the hose connections (~$300 to fix).

Look for leaks at the rear of the transmission where the driveshaft goes in ($80 or so to fix). Look at the little bracket holding the two steel lines running from radiator to transmission. Must have no leaks here (new lines are $37 each or so). Look at the front of the differential for oil leaks.

Shake the front wheels around good with a long screwdriver to check balljoints, tie rods, wheel bearings. Push up on rear wheels with the car on lift. Anything loose costs money to fix.

Look real close at the wiring to the alternator. Damage or exposed wires here can start fires! Get this fixed if it's a mess.

How are the front seats? They can be fixed if sagging or "melted" looking. Ripped upholstery means replacement.

Do all the power windows and locks work? Do all the channels work in the radio? Anything not functional means $$$. Any lights out? 86+: are the headlights wet inside? All: are the taillights wet inside? Any bulbs out?

If it's a wagon, is anything on the hatch inoperable?

In all models, does the A/C work? Does the heater fan make a screech?

Both of these are big bucks items to fix. Figure $500 for either AC work or heater fan repair.

Best bet in 240's in general: worry less about mileage, and much more about condition & maintenance.

Good luck!